PM Modi Offers ‘Chadar’ at Ajmer Dargah Amid Controversy Over Temple Claims

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday presented a ‘chadar’ to the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer to mark the annual Urs celebration. The gesture was carried out on Modi’s behalf by Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who also shared a picture of the moment.

PM Modi expressed his wishes on X, saying, “Greetings on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. May this occasion bring happiness and peace into everyone’s lives.” Rijiju described the offering as a reflection of the Prime Minister’s respect for India’s spiritual heritage and commitment to harmony.

However, this tradition comes amidst a controversy stirred by the Hindu Sena, whose president Vishnu Gupta filed a court petition claiming that the site of the Ajmer Dargah was originally a Shiva temple. The Rajasthan court agreed to hear the case and summoned the Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India.

Opposition leaders, including Congress’s Ashok Gehlot, criticized the BJP for these claims, accusing them of creating confusion and unrest. Gehlot remarked, “People from across the country pray at the Ajmer Dargah. Even PM Modi offers ‘chadar,’ yet members of his party are approaching courts with such claims. This sends a contradictory and divisive message.”

The annual Urs celebration, which commemorates the death anniversary of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, remains a symbol of unity and spirituality, but the ongoing legal and political dispute has brought renewed attention to the site.

News Source : “Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.”